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A fairly new Christmas-time tradition in Dauphin is set to return to the city this week.
Dauphin Fire Chief Cam Abrey says their fourth annual Santa Tours will take place over the next four evenings, beginning tonight (Monday).
"Jolly St Nick has asked us to give him some tours around Dauphin so that he can make some inspections of the rooftops and see if he has enough landing zone for his reindeer and his sleigh. We are fortunate enough to escort him around our fine city over the next few evenings by dividing the city up into different sections. He also wants to say hi to everybody that is able to get out of the house and wave either through the window or front step whatever there is."
Abrey says it is a great opportunity for their firefighters to get to see the city.
"We try to take some of our new recruit drivers out to get them accustomed to the street layout and where we are able to go. You will see a couple of fire trucks - the small command unit will be leading the way to make sure that the truck can get down the street safely. It will also give everybody a heads-up that Santa is coming down behind them. "
Santa and the firefighters will visit different parts of the city each night, and Abrey tells you how you can find out which areas he will be visiting.
"If you keep an eye on the Dauphin Fire Department Facebook page, we will be posting the map every afternoon of where we will be going in the city."
Abrey also encourages residents to take pictures of Santa and the fire trucks and share them on social media.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A strategic planning process has been launched by the Rural Municipality of West Interlake that will look at sustaining or even improving economic growth in the Ashern area.
The municipality hopes to gather input on the current business climate, as well as discuss how business growth and development in Ashern and the surrounding area can be supported.
A key component of this strategic planning process is consulting with the business community in that area, which they plan to do in the form of a meeting with business owners and managers in the Ashern area.
That gathering is set for January 16th from 7-9 pm at the Ashern Community Hall.
Businesses interested in taking part are asked to RSVP before January 5th by contacting Mildred at 204-768-2641, or by emailing info at rm of west interlake dot com.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Motorists in the province are getting an early Christmas present in the form of lower gasoline prices.
According to the website gasbuddy.com, the average price for a litre of regular fuel in Manitoba is now at 136.22 cents, down 2.6 cents from last week.
That is also 14.7 cents a litre cheaper than one month ago, and 12.2 cents cheaper than on this day one year ago.
Here in Dauphin, the price has come down by around four to five cents a litre at some locations across the city, with prices ranging from 134.9 to 135.9 cents a litre.
As for other Parkland communities, gas is currently 131.9 in Roblin, 135.9 to 136.9 in Russell, 135.9 to 138.9 in Swan River, and 139.9 in Gilbert Plains.
The national average price is also lower this week, dropping 1.4 cents over the last seven days to 140.87 cents a litre.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A Waywayseecappo woman charged with Manslaughter in the death of a man earlier this year was back in court last week.
25-year-old Talisa Brandon had her matters put over until January 18th.
In the early morning hours of July 5th, Manitoba First Nation Police Service members were called to a home on the First Nation, where they found a seriously injured 23-year-old man.
He was eventually pronounced dead at the scene.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A Dauphin man arrested after a traffic stop in the city this past summer will be back in court in the new year.
On the evening of June 13th, a vehicle was observed by RCMP speeding northbound on Main Street.
The vehicle was pulled over, with two men found inside along with a strong smell of alcohol and a large bag of unmarked cigarettes.
After the driver failed a roadside alcohol screening test, Mounties also discovered a homemade gun with a bayonet attached within the vehicle, along with used and unused ammunition, several cell phones, and a quantity of cash.
37-year-old Christopher Bilay remains in custody on a long list of charges and is due back in court on January 23rd.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
Three people face charges following a police chase that started on the Ebb & Flow First Nation.
Ste Rose RCMP attempted to pull over a vehicle around 10:40 on Wednesday morning, but the vehicle refused to stop.
The suspects eventually went off the road and attempted to hide in brush north of Plumas near Road 462.
Mounties arrested two of the suspects but needed the assistance of Marook the Police Dog to locate and arrest the third suspect a short distance away.
A search of the third suspect resulted in the seizure of four grand in cash, while a bag found near the vehicle contained 223 grams of cocaine, 30 grams of crack cocaine, and 957 grams meth.
33-year-old Edward Sutherland is in custody, facing a number of charges including flight from police, resisting arrest, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
A 25-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman were also charged with resisting arrest and possession for the purpose of trafficking.
They have been released and are due in Dauphin court on February 27th.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A suspect arrested in connection with a high-speed chase early last week was back in Brandon court yesterday.
Dauphin RCMP attempted to pull over a vehicle on Main Street on December 4th, but the driver refused to stop and eventually made his way towards Riding Mountain National Park.
A spike belt was deployed south of Onanole, and the suspect attempted to flee on foot before eventually being tracked down with the assistance of Marook the police dog.
31-year-old Dakota Tripp faces several charges and was remanded into custody until his next scheduled court appearance on January 23rd.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
The Solstice Spa at the Elkhorn Resort near Wasagaming is undergoing a rebranding.
It is now known as the Klar So Nordic Spa, with Klar So translating to Clear Lake in Danish.
The rebrand comes following a recent expansion to the spa, which included four new buildings and over 1700 square metres of additional outdoor space.
The spa - which focuses on the Nordic tradition of Thermotherapy, already includes a series of hot and cold temperature pools, steam and dry saunas, and outdoor relaxation areas.
Thermotherapy involves switching between hot and cold temperatures combined with a rest period.
The development of the Klar So Nordic Spa represents a 10 million dollar investment that officials hope will both create jobs and drive increased tourism to the park.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
A 46-year-old man was back in court on Thursday in relation to a death on the Skownan First Nation.
Melvin Catcheway has admitted to manslaughter in the case and is due back in court on January 9th.
Mounties were called to the reserve on January 14th on a report of an assault.
A 68-year-old man was located once police arrived and was pronounced dead at the scene.
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
While it wasn't the result the Parkland U18 Rangers were looking for on the ice, it was an overall extremely successful evening.
Hosting their 'Hockey Fights Cancer' game at Credit Union Place on October 20 against the Brandon Wheat Kings, fans packed the stands, many of which wore pink for the cause. The Rangers also wore their beautiful pink jerseys.
Jason Gibbs is the team's manager and he's still talking about how special the night was.
"It was fantastic, Carla Garton did a great job putting everything together, the prize table was great, and we did very well on the 50/50," said Gibbs. "The crowd support was great, it was a tremendous night."
Now a couple of months removed from the game, the numbers are in. This year, the Rangers were able to raise $4000. That money will be going to cancer wards in Dauphin, Swan River, and Russell.
Gibbs spoke on the importance of this annual game.
"It's huge, everyone has been touched one way or another by this disease," said Gibbs. "This is our way of giving back. I also have to tip my hat to Bill Nicholson, he is a huge part of the evening."
Jason believes it's an honour to give back and he's looking forward to next year's event when it returns to Credit Union Place.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
While the holiday season can be a joyous time for many, it can also be very difficult for those who are struggling with the recent loss of a loved one.
Sneath-Strilchuk Funeral Services is hoping to help with that by once again hosting their annual Blue Christmas Services of Remembrance.
"It is for folks who are dealing with grief and sadness at what is usually a joyous time," says Joe Coffey, owner of Sneath-Strilchuk Funeral Services. "They can come and deal with those feelings and recognize the people that have gone before us and are important to us."
Coffey says these services are being held tonight (Thursday) at 7 pm at their chapels in Roblin and Ste Rose, as well as Sunday afternoon at 2 at their Family Care Centre in Dauphin.
"We have a service with a clergy person, and then we light the candles and we play a video tribute for all of the people that have passed over the past year. And then it is very important as well, the fellowship of being with people that are dealing with similar feelings. "
Coffey adds everyone is welcome to attend and light a candle, even if it has been more than a year since their loved one passed away.
"Often we carry our feelings of missing people from years back. So it does not necessarily have to be someone who has passed away in the past year,it can be years ago. It is just a good opportunity to recognize these people."
Coffey says even though there is a lot of happiness associated with Christmas time, it is important to acknowledge our feelings and not hide feelings of sadness
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- Contributed by Jeff Henson
